The Vicomte De Bragelonne eBook

“Come, he has begun,” said he. “Love
urges him on, and he goes forward — he goes
forward! The king is nobody in his own palace;
but the man perhaps may prove to be worth something.
Well, we shall see to-morrow morning. Oh! oh!”
cried he, all at once starting up, “that is a
gigantic idea, mordioux! and perhaps my fortune
depends, at least, upon that idea!” After this
exclamation, the officer arose and marched, with his
hands in the pockets of his justaucorps, about
the immense ante-chamber that served him as an apartment.
The wax-light flamed furiously under the effects
of a fresh breeze, which stole in through the chinks
of the door and the window, and cut the salle
diagonally. It threw out a reddish, unequal
light, sometimes brilliant, sometimes dull, and the
tall shadow of the lieutenant was seen marching on
the wall, in profile, like a figure by Callot, with
his long sword and feathered hat.

“Certainly!” said he, “I am mistaken
if Mazarin is not laying a snare for this amorous
boy. Mazarin, this evening, gave an address,
and made an appointment as complacently as M. Daangeau
himself could have done — I heard him, and I
know the meaning of his words. ‘To-morrow
morning,’ said he, ‘they will pass opposite
the bridge of Blois.’ Mordioux! that
is clear enough, and particularly for a lover.
That is the cause of this embarrassment; that is
the cause of this hesitation; that is the cause of
this order — ’Monsieur the lieutenant of
my musketeers, be on horseback to-morrow at four o’clock
in the morning.’ Which is as clear as if
he had said, — ’Monsieur the lieutenant
of my musketeers, to-morrow, at four, at the bridge
of Blois, — do you understand?’ Here is
a state secret, then, which I, humble as I am, have
in my possession, while it is in action. And
how do I get it? Because I have good eyes, as
his majesty just now said. They say he loves
this little Italian doll furiously. They say
he threw himself at his mother’s feet, to beg
her to allow him to marry her. They say the
queen went so far as to consult the court of Rome,
whether such a marriage, contracted against her will,
would be valid. Oh, if I were but twenty-five!
If I had by my side those I no longer have!
If I did not despise the whole world most profoundly,
I would embroil Mazarin with the queen-mother, France
with Spain, and I would make a queen after my own
fashion. But let that pass.” And
the lieutenant snapped his fingers in disdain.

“This miserable Italian — this poor creature
— this sordid wretch — who has just refused
the king of England a million, would not perhaps give
me a thousand pistoles for the news I would carry him.
Mordioux! I am falling into second childhood
— I am becoming stupid indeed! The idea
of Mazarin giving anything! ha! ha! ha!” and
he laughed in a subdued voice.

“Well, let us go to sleep — let us go
to sleep; and the sooner the better. My mind
is wearied with my evening’s work, and will see
things to-morrow more clearly than to-day.”